Top Five Paraphrasing Techniques

Read below for our top paraphrasing techniques and make paraphrasing an essential part of your study routine.

1. Use Synonyms

The most common technique, and maybe most important, is to find synonyms for keywords in the question. For this technique, take note of the important nouns and verbs in the question, and see which synonyms might be appropriate to replace them. 

Example: The diagram below shows the process by which bricks are manufactured for the building industry.

Paraphrased Example: The diagram illustrates the way bricks are made for the building industry.

In the example above, you’ll notice that we found synonyms for three of the words to help us paraphrase the question.

2. Use a Different Word Form

Another way to paraphrase is to change the form of the words used in the question. It’s helpful to be aware of how word families work in English in order to do so. A common way to do this is to change the nouns to verbs, verbs to nouns, adjectives to nouns, etc.

Example: The line graph below shows the consumption of four kinds of meat in a European country from 1979 to 2004.

Paraphrased Example: The line graph below shows how one European country consumed four kinds of meat from 1979 to 2004.

Here you can see we changed the noun, consumption to its verb form, consumed.

3. Change from the Active to the Passive

Often, we can simply change the grammar structures in the question. Changing active voice to passive is a great way to help paraphrase a question.

Example: The real estate developers invested over $40 million USD into the development of a new senior living community.

Paraphrased Example: $40 million USD was invested in the development of a new senior living community.

Above you see we changed invested to was invested helping us paraphrase by changing the active to the passive.

4. Change the word order

For all this talk about synonyms, changing the word form, or changing grammatical structures, sometimes it’s easy enough to simply change where the words stand in a sentence.

Example: The line graph below shows the consumption of four kinds of meat in a European country from 1979 to 2004.

Paraphrased Example: The line graph below shows how four different kinds of meat were consumed over a 25-year period in one European Country.

As you can see, I not only changed the word order, which had a dramatic effect on how the question is read, but I also changed the main verb from active to passive. This leads to our next top tip below.

5. Use a combination of techniques

Typically relying on one technique to paraphrase in your writing is doable, but it can be stressful and not very effective. To get the best results, try using at least two or three different techniques. Using synonyms combined with changing the grammar or word order can have a dramatic effect on your paraphrasing skills.

Exercise 6: Study the suggested paraphrasing. Discuss the techniques that were used.

N	Original	Paraphrasing
	The student requested that the professor excuses her absence, but the professor refused.	The professor denied the student’s request for an excused absence.
	The International Center is hosting English Conversation classes. They help non-native speakers of English practice their English speaking skills.	English non-native speakers can improve their English by taking classes at the International Center.
	The car that was pulled over by the police officer yesterday just had an accident. That driver is not careful.	The careless driver who was pulled over yesterday just got into an accident.
	Of the more than 1000 bicycling deaths each year, three-fourths are caused by head injuries. Half of those killed are school-age children. One study concluded that wearing a bike helmet can reduce the risk of head injury by 85 percent. In an accident, a bike helmet absorbs the shock and cushions the head. From "Bike Helmets: Unused Lifesavers," Consumer Reports (May 1990): 348.	The use of a helmet is the key to reducing bicycling fatalities, which are due to head injuries 75% of the time. By cushioning the head upon impact, a helmet can reduce accidental injury by as much as 85%, saving the lives of hundreds of victims annually, half of whom are school children ("Bike Helmets" 348).
	"The Antarctic is the vast source of cold on our planet, just as the sun is the source of our heat, and it exerts tremendous control on our climate," [Jacques] Cousteau told the camera. "The cold ocean water around Antarctica flows north to mix with warmer water from the tropics, and its upwellings help to cool both the surface water and our atmosphere. Yet the fragility of this regulating system is now threatened by human activity." From "Captain Cousteau," Audubon (May 1990):17.	According to Jacques Cousteau, the activity of people in Antarctica is jeopardizing a delicate natural mechanism that controls the earth's climate. He fears that human activity could interfere with the balance between the sun, the source of the earth's heat, and the important source of cold from Antarctic waters that flow north and cool the oceans and atmosphere ("Captain Cousteau" 17).

Exercise 7 : Make a different word, using the prompt in brackets.

e.g. development (change to verb) - to develop

e.g. economise (change to noun) - economy

1. To analyse (change to noun)

2. To analyse (change to adjective)

3. Evaluation (change to verb)

4. Theoretical (change to verb)

5. Problem (change to adjective)

6. To expect (change to noun)

7. To agree (change to opposite verb)

8. Organised (change to opposite adjective)

9. To prove (change to noun)

10.To prove (change to opposite verb)

Exercise 8: Finish these paraphrased sentences by changing the word/word type and grammar.

e.g. We studied the statistics then applied for funding. - After _________ the statistics, we made an _________ for funding. - After studying the statistics, we made an application for funding.

1. We were concerned about her health. We had some _________ about her health.

2. The council cut funding so we could not provide free parking. Because of council funding _________, there was no_________ for free parking.

3. His proposal was a failure as it was too theoretical. His proposal_________ because it relied too much on _________ .

4. As the emphasis was only on Central Asia, there were weaknesses in the evidence. By _________ Central Asia only, the evidence was _________ .

5. As the emphasis was only on Central Asia, there were weaknesses in the evidence. As the emphasis was only on Central Asia, the evidence was not_________ .

Exercise 9: Look at paraphrasing. Discuss in class.

1. Adverts are a major part of everyday life.

Paraphrase 1 : Advertising is an important feature of daily life.

Paraphrase 2 : The influence of adverts can be felt in all aspects of our lives.

2. Adverts for the soft drink, Tango, have recently been banned for possibly encouraging playground bullying.

Paraphrase 1: Advertising for the fizzy drink, Tango, have been disallowed recently for potentially leading to school bullying.

Paraphrase 2: A ban on Tango adverts has been implemented recently, as some felt the content could encourage school bullies.

3. Opinion is divided over what impact, if any, advertising has on children. What is beyond question is that many people, parents in particular are worried about its effects. 88% of Swedes supported their government’s ban on children’s TV adverts in 1991 (Willows, 2009) while 36% of adults in the UK thought that advertising was damaging to their children (Sidle, 2011).

Paraphrase 1: There is little agreement on the effect of advertising on children, though it is undoubtedly a concern, especially for parents. When Sweden banned children’s TV adverts in 1991, 88% of the population supported the decision (Willows, 2009), while in the UK, over a third of adults thought advertising could damage their children (Sidle, 2011).

Paraphrase 2: Views vary on what possible effect advertising can have on the young. What is without doubt is that most people, especially parents, are concerned about the impact. 88% of Swedish people were in favour of their government’s ban on advertising on children’s television (Willows, 2009), and in the UK, 36% of adults believed adverts were harmful to their offspring (Sidle, 2011).

Exercise 10*: Write a paraphrase of each of the following passages.

N	Original	Paraphrase
	National Bank of Abu Dhabi  v BP Oil International highlights the dangers of contracts which evolve over time and which are a combination of standard or boilerplate clauses from other contracts with or without modifications. The "belt and braces" approach is not always the best route to clarity. Nonetheless the court will ascribe a meaning to the agreement, if necessary, by not over-analysing the fine print.
	The bank agreed to purchase from BP a receivable owed to BP by a Moroccan oil-refining company, SAMIR. BP represented to the bank that it was "not prohibited by any ... other agreement ... from disposing of the Receivable" but BP's underlying agreement with SAMIR prohibited assignments.
	The court had to ascertain whether the purchase agreement "in equity irrevocably" assigned the receivable to the bank or only promised that the bank would receive the proceeds of the debt. Assignments of proceeds are not invalidated by non-assignment clauses (see Linden Gardens). If BP had promised the bank the proceeds of the debt by various alternative routes, BP's representation would be true since it would not be prohibited from disposing of the receivable otherwise than by assignment of the receivable. If the disposal of debt was an assignment of the receivable itself, BP's representation would be false.
	The court found that reference to beneficial ownership by the bank of not only debts "paid by [SAMIR]" but also of "debts in respect of which such amounts are paid" could not be squared with assignment of proceeds. NBAD had an interest in the debt even before associated proceeds came into existence. This could not be reconciled with a mere interest in the "fruits of the proceeds". The representation was false.

Rendering

Read and render the article. Before rendering, prepare a plan and study the List of expressions to be used while rendering the text (Appendix 1).

Text 1